In the U.S.A. early age of drinking has been associated with a greater likelihood of unintentional and intentional injury and a greater likelihood of developing alcohol dependence and frequent heavy drinking patterns. The purpose of this project is to examine age of onset of alcohol use in Italy, a context that is normatively different than the U.S.A. and where early drinking is the norm. In Italy wine is traditionally perceived as food rather than alcohol and wine is the most popular alcoholic drink. Surveys of youths and adults in Italy reveal that heavier alcohol consumption, including the number of drunkenness episodes, is found among beer drinkers and those who drink outside their home. This project will examine the relationship between starting to drink at an early age and more frequent heavy drinking in later life or the development of alcohol dependence in a sample of Italians.